Advertisement

College basketball: Louisville reportedly hires Chris Mack as coach

According to multiple reports Louisville has hired Xavier’s Chris Mack as its new men’s basketball coach, hoping he can guide the program back to national contention after a turbulent season in which the Cardinals missed the NCAA Tournament.
(Andy Manis / Associated Press)
Share

A person familiar with the situation confirmed to the Associated Press that Louisville has selected Xavier’s Chris Mack as men’s coach. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the hire has not been publicly announced.

Louisville’s Athletic Assn. must approve all contracts and has called a Wednesday meeting about a personnel matter, but did not specify whether it was about coaching vacancy.

Mack led Xavier to a 29-6 record and the school’s first No. 1 seeding in an NCAA tournament but the Musketeers were upset in the second round by Florida State. He was 215-97 in nine seasons at his alma mater with eight NCAA tournament appearances and a trip to last year’s Elite Eight.

Advertisement

Mack, 48, said in a tweet Tuesday that “this situation offered a new and unique challenge that I could not turn down.” He did not mention Louisville.

He takes over for David Padgett, who had a 22-14 record as Louisville’s interim coach after the school fired Rick Pitino in October in the wake of a federal corruption investigation of college basketball.

Pittsburgh filled its men’s coaching vacancy with Jeff Capel, the former Virginia Commonwealth and Oklahoma coach, and an assistant at Duke the last seven seasons.

Capel, 43, takes over a program that finished 8-24 overall and 0-18 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Audra Smith was fired as women’s coach at Clemson after five seasons in which the Tigers were 52-99 overall, 9-70 in ACC play.

NIT semifinals

Advertisement

Justin Bibbins scored 19 points and Utah (23-11) pulled off a 69-64 victory over Western Kentucky (27-11) in a semifinal game of the National Invitation Tournament at New York’s Madison Square Garden. ... Tony Carr had a game-high 21 points for Penn State (25-13) in a 75-60 victory over Mississippi State (25-12) in the other semifinal. The title game is Thursday night.

Etc.

Several more players declared for the NBA draft, including Arizona sophomore guard Rawle Alkins, Nevada Las Vegas freshman center Brandon McCoy, Florida junior guard Jalen Hudson and Texas junior guard Kerwin Roach II. ...

Sophomore point guard CJ Walker was granted his request to be released from Florida State, coach Leonard Hamilton said.

Advertisement